ON SITE GLAZING PROCEDURE

Requirements for Glazing at site are same as factory anywhere else. Due to conditions
encountered on factory at site it is necessary to pay particular attention to substrate
preparation in order to ensure that adequate adhesion occurs. A summary of important
steps that required to be followed for doing glazing at site is mentioned below:

A. Glazing Area:

1. The area where structural glazing is planned to be executed should be

a. Clean and free from dust.
b. Proper enclosures and ceilings are to be provided to seclude this area from
other working areas
c. Proper flooring shall be done and maintained which doesn’t allow for dust
generation
d. The temperature of the glazing area should be maintained in line with the
product storage requirement. It is preferable to have air condition which
also helps in keeping the room free from dust. The storage temperature for
Dow Corning 983 SGS, 2-part sealant is less than 30 deg C.

e. The recommended application temperature for Dow Corning 983 Structural

glazing sealant is between 20 – 30 deg C. It is recommended to maintain the
temperature accordingly and also the relative humidity level should be
between 50 - 70 % RH
f. Sufficient tables should be used for cleaning, priming and sealant application.
Cleaning and priming should be done in clean area immediately before glazing
and as per the recommendations from the sealant manufacturer.
g. Once the structural glazing application is done the panels should be independently
stacked and allowed to cure before installation. Vertical stacking racks can be used and
care must be taken to ensure that the weight of individual panels are

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 ON SITE GLAZING PROCEDURE
Supported properly in the rack and not cascaded down.

h. If two part sealant is used then quality checks like butterfly test and snap
time should be performed periodically to ensure proper mixed material is
being used for glazing.

B. Surface Preparation & Sealant Application:

1. All substrates should be cleaned with a degreasing solvent such as xylene, toluene or
M.E.K, or solvent recommended on adhesion report. Clean, white, lint-free cotton cloths
should be used for cleaning. A two cloth cleaning process should be used. Pour solvent
onto one cloth then wipe the sealant contact area with this cloth to remove any
contaminants. Before the solvent has evaporated wipe the same area with a clean dry
cloth. This removes any contaminants dissolved in the cleaning solvent and hence prevents
them from being redeposited when the solvent evaporates.

2. Primer should then be applied if recommended on adhesion report, or if adhesion testing has
not been completed. Primers used with Dow Corning silicone sealants should be clear liquids.
If primer is milky or contains a white precipitate it should be discarded.

Primer should be applied using a clean, dry, lint-free, white cotton cloth. Primer should be
poured onto the cloth to avoid contamination. A thin film of primer should be applied in
order to achieve optimum adhesion. Excess primer appears as a white powdery residue. It
can be removed with a dry cotton cloth prior to sealant application. After 30 minutes or
when the primer is dry sealant application can begin. Ensure that the sealant contact area
is not recontaminated by poor handling practices.

3. Mask surfaces as required. Apply sealant ensuring proper joint fill occurs. Sealant should be
tooled into the joint to ensure good contact with the substrates being sealed. Remove
masking tape immediately after tooling and before the sealant has skinned.

4. In order to ensure that good adhesion is being achieved complete deglazes should be carried
out periodically. A suggested schedule is three frames in the first one hundred frames glazed
then one frame in each subsequent one hundred frames. More deglazes may required based
on results.
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